Dutch consulting disruptor takes aim at City’s ‘five-to-one’ markup

Sweav, a Dutch-founded freelance consulting platform, is set to enter the UK market to challenge the conventional professional services industry's pricing structure. Joeri Schouten, co-founder of Sweav, stated to City AM: "The UK is Europe's largest professional services market, yet it retains a traditional, hierarchical culture.

This results in work-life balance issues and higher prices compared to mainland Europe." He criticizes the prevailing five-to-one markup, where clients pay up to £4,500 daily for mid-level consultants who make £800. The surge in AI and tighter budgets has led to firms rejecting pricey, theoretical PowerPoint presentations for professionals who execute strategies and drive impact.

Sweav will focus on post-strategy implementation, offering experienced mid-level consultants for longer engagements to provide practical results more efficiently and cost-effectively. Established in 2022 by Schouten and Thijmen Kaster, Sweav currently operates in Amsterdam and Belgium, with annual revenues between £25m and £30m.

The company is hiring a local UK co-founder to lead the regional expansion and is scouting a co-working space in Kensington. Schouten acknowledges that some consultants are eager to become independent, but many are hesitant due to the UK's less established freelance environment. He explains that Sweav provides various services to help alleviate the concerns of these professionals, including pension schemes, bookkeeping, taxes, insurance, etc. The professional services industry has witnessed significant layoffs in recent years, and the co-founder believes these departures present an opportunity for talented individuals to join Sweav.

The Dutch co-founder also emphasizes Sweav's more casual and human culture, where colleagues are comfortable wearing sneakers and jeans during client meetings, a trend more accepted in the Netherlands than in the UK.